The Boston Celtics barely scraped by the Milwaukee Bucks with a 109-102 win Wednesday night, but trust me, that final score does NOT tell the whole story. Boston was up by a massive 22 points, only to watch that lead melt away completely, with the Bucks actually taking control, before Paul George and Derrick White stepped up to save the day. Jayson Tatum wasn’t even on the court for this one, leaving a big hole the Celtics had to fill. On top of Tatum being out, Devin Carter was still sidelined with mono, and the Bucks were only missing two-way player Kam Jones.
Celtics Catch Fire, Then Suddenly Don’t
Boston came out absolutely firing, man. They jumped ahead 19-8 midway through the first quarter, with Sam Hauser hitting the first two shots of the game and Paul George dropping 7 of the next 13 Celtics points. Payton Pritchard even showed some real aggression on his first shot, which was awesome to see. By the end of the first, the Celtics were up 28-14, with George already bagging 10 points and 3 steals. Mitchell Robinson was a beast off the bench with 6 rebounds.
The second quarter looked like more of the same, with Pritchard adding a few more baskets early on. Things got a little shaky when the Bucks hit a pair of threes and went on a quick 6-2 run, forcing Joe Mazzulla to call a timeout. But Boston’s offense clicked back into gear, especially their three-point shooting. After hitting only 30% from deep in their last four games, the Celtics went a red-hot 10/17 in the first half! They headed into halftime with a commanding 62-41 lead. Luka Garza had 11 points and 5 rebounds by the break, while Derrick White put up 9 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds. Looking good, right? *Right?*
Milwaukee’s Relentless Surge
Whatever Mazzulla said at halftime, it didn’t stick, because Boston came out flat. The Bucks smelled blood, immediately going on a 12-5 run to kick off the third quarter. Another Mazzulla timeout. Jamie Jaquez Jr. had 5 points and Tyler Herro added 4 points during that run, and Milwaukee just kept pouring it on, hitting 10 of their first 12 shots in the quarter. Suddenly, that huge 21-point halftime lead was chopped down to just seven!
Baylor Scheierman tried to stop the bleeding, hitting back-to-back key threes to stretch the lead back to 13, forcing a Milwaukee timeout. But the Bucks just wouldn’t quit. This quarter was all about Tyler Herro, who exploded for 17 points on 6/8 from the field and 2/2 from three in just that third quarter alone. To add insult to injury, Payton Pritchard had to leave the game with a right eye abrasion and didn’t return. By the time the fourth quarter started, what was a comfortable 21-point cushion was a terrifying 87-79 lead. Paul George was doing his part, with 16 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals by the end of three, but the team was unraveling.
When the Lead Disappeared, George and White Delivered
The fourth quarter opened with the Bucks on yet *another* run, going 10-4. That 8-point lead? Gone. The Bucks had completely erased Boston’s massive advantage and then some, taking the lead. This is where Paul George and Derrick White became instant legends for the night, preventing what would have been an absolutely soul-crushing loss after leading by 22 points. They didn’t just save the game, they saved Boston from a nightmare headline.
Talk about a rollercoaster. A massive lead, a brutal collapse, and a nail-biting finish where the Celtics barely held on. This game was a gut-check, a reminder that in this league, no lead is safe, especially when a key player like Tatum is out. George and White stepping up like that was huge, but you gotta wonder how Boston let things get that wild in the first place. You can bet they’ll be watching the tape on that second half.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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